Door lock actuator



J1me 1954 A. R. ADAMS ETAL 2,682,424

DOOR LOCK ACTUATOR Original Filed April 2'7. 1948 INVENTORS ARTHUR R. ADAMS EARLE DONNELL GRIZZARD CADY- ATTORNEY Patented June 29, 1954 DOOR LOCK ACTUATOR Arthur R. Adams, Glendale, and Earle Donnell Grizzard and Paul C. Cady, Los Angeles, Calif., assignors to Adams Rite Manufacturing Company, Glendale, Calif., a corporation of California Original application April 27, 1948, Serial No.

23,426, now Patent No. 2,668,071, dated February 2, 1954. Divided and this application June 27, 1949, Serial No. 101,644

Claims. (Cl. 292-3363) The present invention relates generally to looks or closures; and is more particularly concerned with improvements in an actuator for such locks, and constitutes a division of our application Serial No. 23,426, filed April 27, 1948, now Patent No. 2,668,071.

It is one object of the present invention to provide an improved lock actuator for sliding door locks, which embodies an escutcheon plate wherein an actuating member is permanently assembled as a part of the plate assembly, and which is so arranged that a slip connection may be accomplished with a part of the lock actuating mechanism, so that no tools, screws, or additional parts are necessary for interconnecting the actuating member with the lock mechanism.

Another object is to provide in a lock actuator, an improved escutcheon plate assembly which is readily adapted for the mounting of means for modifying the operation of the lock mechanism by the main lock actuating member, as for example a finger engageable button by which the lock bar of the lock mechanism may be shifted to locked and unlocked positions.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved door lock actuator of pleasing appearance; which is flexibly adapted to meet varied installation requirements; which is of simple construction and economical to construct; and which embodies parts that will be free of operational troubles and which will give eificient and dependable operation over long periods of use.

Further objects of the invention will be brought out in the following part of the specification, wherein detailed description is for the purpose of fully disclosing preferred embodiments of the invention without placing limitations on the scope of the invention defined in the appended claims.

Referring to the drawings, which are for illustrative purposes only:

Fig. 1 is a fragmentary view of a sliding door and associated door jamb upon which there is mounted, as shown in elevation, a lock mechanism operatively connected with an actuator embodying the features of the present invention;

Fig. 2 is a transverse section taken through the lock casing, substantially on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view through the lock mechanism, taken substantially on line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view through an escutcheon plate and actuating member of the actuator, showing the manner in which the locking mechanism is connected to the actuating member, taken substantially on line 44 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view through the actuator plate and associated parts, taken substantially on line 55 of Fig. 1.

Referring more specifically to Figs. 1 and 3 of the drawings, a lock enclosing casing as generally indicated at A is mounted upon a sliding door panel II], this casing containing a lock mechanism as generally indicated at B in Fig. 3, which is illustrative of a lock with which the present invention may be utilized. The casing and associated lock is so mounted on the edge margin of the door panel as to be moved into operative position with a keeper mounted in a projecting position on an associated door jamb I2.

The lock mechanism B will first be described. The parts of this mechanism are mounted and supported in cooperative relationship between a pair of spaced frame plate members I3 and i3.

The lock mechanism includes a lock member l4 supported for swinging movement to locked position, as shown in full lines in Fig. 3, and to unlocked position as shown in dotted lines, the lock member normally being biased toward the latter position by a spring l8.

Actuation of the lock member I4 to locked position and movement to unlocked position is controlled through a movable latch member 2| which carries a transversely extending actuating bar 25, as best shown in Fig. 4. The latch member is normally biased toward its latching position with respect to the lock member M by a spring 30.

Cooperatively associated with the latch member 2| in controlling the actuation of the lock is operation modifying means which includes a movable locking bar 34 having a deformed end for engaging in one position with a projecting arm 37 to lock the latch member 2| against the movement to its unlatched position. Movement of the latching bar 34 to its dotted line position, as shown in Fig. 3, will release the latch member 2| and its actuating bar 25 for actuation by actuating means to be subsequently described in detail.

The enclosing casing A will now be described. This casing includes a pair of escutcheon side plates 39 and 39' adapted to respectively overlap the marginal surface portions of a cut-out 4D in the jamb engaging edge portion of a sliding door panel H], as shown in Fig. 2.

One feature of the casin described herein resides in its being adjustable for variable thicknesses of panel closures, so that the same side plate may be utilized for door panels of diiferent thicknesses, without the necessity of providing a plurality of interconnected side plates for accommodating various thicknesses of closure panels. This adjustability is accomplished by providing along the inner end marginal portions of the side plate, a rolled or turned over edge 4| in each case which terminates in an edge flange 42. These edge flanges ar respectively provided with projecting wings 43-43 containing slotted openings 44. By disposing the wings 4343 of the plate 39 and plate 39' respectively in overlapped position with the slotted openings in registration, movements of adjustment of the side plates toward and away from each other may be obtained.

The side plates are held in adjusted position by screws 44 which extend through an end plate 45 having its lateral margin seated on the flanges 4242 of the plates. These screws are threaded into overlapping lugs 46-46, carried by the frame plate members l3l3, so that by this arrangement, the lock mechanism is supported between the side plates from the end plate 45. The ends of the plate 45 contain apertures 41 for receiving securing screws for holding the end plate, these screws being indicated by the numeral 48 in Fig.

1, and a keeper receiving opening 49.

Referring to Figs. 1, 2 and 4, each side plate is substantially of rectangular shape and contains in this instance a rectangular recessed portion 54 and a substantially circular recessed portion 55. On opposite sides of the recessed portion 54 the material is formed to provide parallel grooves or ledges 55-56 havin in each case an elongate slot 51 formed therein.

An actuating member 58 which in effect forms a movable section in the side plate surface, is slidably mounted for lateral movements within the recess 55, this actuating member having end margins extending over the ledges 55, and right angled side margins 59 extending into the recess 54. This actuating member is secured to a carriage member fill of substantially I-shape with its intermediate portion of channel shape as shown by the numeral 6| in Fig. 4, this portion being secured as by soldering or brazing 62 to the bottom surface of the actuating member 58. The end portions 63 are flat and are deflected at their end margins to form a right angled flange 64, which extends through a slot 51 and has outwardly turned ends 65, by means of which it is held against removal from the slot, as shown in Fig. 1. The slot 51 thus limits the lateral movement of the actuating member, and the channel portion Bl forms a slip joint connection for receiving an end of the actuatin bar therein, the bottom of the recessed portion 54 being provided with an aperture 66 through which the end of the actuatin bar projects. A spacer 61, as shown in Fig. 4, interconnects the recessed portion 54 of the plates 39 and 39', this spacer being connected at its ends by a screw 68 in each case to the bottom of the adjacent recessed portion. The foregoing provides a unique method of connecting the actuating member as a permanent part of the side plates assembly and utilizes a slip connection with a portion of the locking mechanism, of such nature that no tools are required to make the connection.

Various arrangements are possible for accomplishin actuation of the lockin bar 34 manually from one or both sides of the door. As shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 3, a pin 69- is mounted in the end 38 of the locking bar, this pin extending transversely of the bar and having its ends extending through an arcuate slot 10 in each case not to operate the locking bar.

into the recessed portion 55 of the side plates. The ends of the pin are provided with finger engageable buttons H which are substantially flush with the main surface of the side plates. The pin 59 is retained against longitudinal shiftin movement by a screw 12. With this arrangement, the locking bar may be actuated to locked and unlocked positions from either side of the door panel merely by manually shifting the buttons I I.

If desired, arrangement may be made to actuate the locking bar from only one side of the door, simply by not projecting the pin 69 through the slot 10 on that side from which it is desired However, for emergency operation from this side, it is the usual practice to indent the end of the pin 69 on this side, so that it may be shifted by the insertion of a pointed instrument through the associated slot 10 into the indented end of the pin, and thus in emergency shift the locking bar.

We claim as our invention:

1. In a sliding door look, a casing including a surface mounted plate having a recessed surface portion; parallel slots respectively extending along opposite sides of said recessed portion; an actuatin member extending across the recessed portion having a surface substantially flush with the plate surface, and connected end flanges extending through said slots for connectin the actuating member and plate for relative limited movement; and a part carried by said actuating member adapted for slip connection with an actuating part of the lock.

2. In a sliding door look, a casing including a surface mounted plate having a recessed surface portion; grooves along opposite sides of the recessed portion; an actuating member extending across the recessed portion with its outer surface flush with the plate surface and having end margins respectively extending into said grooves for supporting the actuating member for lateral shifting movements; an elongate slot in each groove; parts adjacent the ends of said actuating member projecting through said slot for slidably connecting said actuating member to the plate and limiting its lateral movement; and means for engaging a lock actuating part, whereby movements of the actuatin member are transmitted thereto.

3. A door lock actuator, comprising: an escutcheon plate adapted to be mounted on one side of a door adjacent its closure edge, said plate having a recessed outer surface portion containing a bottom opening; grooves along opposite sides of the recessed portion; an actuating member extending across the recessed portion having end margins respectively extending into said grooves for supporting the actuating memher for lateral shifting movements; an elongate slot in each groove; parts adjacent the ends of said actuating member projecting through said slots for slidably connecting said actuating member to the plate and limiting its lateral movement; and means for transmitting movements of said actuating member to said lock mechanism through said bottom opening.

4. Door lock actuator means, comprising: a pair of escutcheon plates adapted to be posi tioned on opposite sides of the door with the lock therebetween, each of said plates having a recessed outer surface portion; a finger engageable actuating member movably supported in each of said recesses; means interconnecting the recessed portions of said plates; and means bers with a common operating part of said lock, whereby the lock may be actuated from either side of the door.

5. The combination with a sliding door lock mechanism of an escutcheon plate adapted to be mounted on one side of a door adjacent its closure edge, said plate having a recessed outer surface portion containing a bottom opening; grooves along the opposite sides of the recessed portion; an actuator member extending across the recessed portion having end margins respectively extending into said grooves for supporting the actuator for lateral shifting movements; an elongate slot in each groove; parts adjacent the end of said actuator projecting through said slots for slidably connecting said actuator to the plate and limiting its lateral movement; and means for transmitting movements of said actuator member to said lock mechanism through said bottom opening.

6. In a sliding door look, a casing including a surface mounted plate having parallel slots disposed in spaced relation; an actuating member extending across the area between said slots and having flanges extending through said slots for connecting the actuating member and said plate for relative limited movement; and a part carried by said actuating member adapted for slip connection with an actuating part of the lock.

7. In an actuator for a door lock mechanism having an exposed shouldered member for the operation thereof: an escutcheon plate adapted to be mounted on a side of the door in a position to cover said shouldered member, said plate having a recessed wall with an opening in the bottom thereof and the guide means externally exposed on said recessed wall; and an actuating member in the recess provided by said recessed wall of said plate, said actuating member having means engaging said guide means so that it will have guided movement in said recess, and said actuating member having actuating shoulder means arranged to engage said shouldered member when said plate is mounted on said door in said position to cover said shouldered member.

8. The combination with a door lock mechanism having a laterally projecting operating member arranged for movement parallel to the face of the door in which the lock is used, of an escutcheon plate adapted to be mounted on one side of a door adjacent its closure edge, said plate having a recessed outer surface portion containing a bottom opening therein through which said operating member projects when said plate is mounted on the door; and an actuator slidably mounted in the recessed portion of said plate and having a rear channel opening toward said bottom opening and receiving the end of said operating member whereby movement of said actuating member will impart movement to said operating member.

9. The combination with a door lock mechanism having a laterally projecting operating member arranged for movement parallel to the face of the door in which the lock is used, of an escutcheon plate adapted to be mounted on one side of a door adjacent its closure edge, said plate having an opening therein through which said operating member projects when said plate is mounted on the door; and an actuator slidably mounted on the front face of said plate and having a rear channel opening toward said bot tom opening and receiving the end of said operating member whereby movement of said actuating member will impart movement to said operating member.

10. A door lock mechanism comprising a lock supporting casing adapted to be mounted in a door, a lock mechanism supported by said casing, said lock mechanism having an operating member exposed externally of said casing, an escutcheon plate separable from said lock supporting casing and being adapted to be mounted on a side of the door in a position to cover said casing, said plate having an opening therethrough and having guide means disposed sidewardly of said opening, and a movable actuating member positioned on the exterior face of said escutcheon plate and engaging said guide means so that it will have guided movement relative to said opening insaid escutcheon plate, and said movable actuating member having shoulder means positioned adjacent said opening to engage said operating member when said escutcheon plate is mounted on the door.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 186,194 Barlow Jan. 16, 1877 1,125,511 Giese Jan. 19, 1915 1,139,869 Howard May 18, 1915 1,601,482 Sutherland Sept. 28, 1926 2,297,077 Schlage Sept. 29, 1942 

